Varying water utilization of Haloxylon ammodendron plantations in a desert‐oasis ecotone

Haloxylon ammodendron is a desert shrub used extensively in China for restoring degraded dry lands. An understanding of the water source used by H. ammodendron plantations is critical achieving sustainable vegetation restoration. We measured mortality, shoot size, and rooting depth in 5‐, 10‐, 20‐, and 40‐year‐old H. ammodendron plantations. We examined stable isotopic ratios of oxygen (δ¹⁸O) in precipitation, groundwater, and soil water in different soil layers and seasons, and in plant stem water to determine water sources at different shrub ages. We found that water acquisition patterns in H. ammodendron plantations differed with plantation age and season. Thus, the main water source for 5‐year‐old shrubs was shallow soil water. Water sources of 10‐year‐old shrubs shifted depending on the soil water conditions during the season. Although their tap roots could absorb deep soil water, the plantation main water sources were from soil water, and about 50% of water originated from shallow and mid soil. This pattern might occur because main water sources in these plantations were changeable over time. The 20‐ and 40‐year‐old shrubs acquired water mainly from permanent groundwater. We conclude that the main water source of a young H. ammodendron plantation was soil water recharged by precipitation. However, when roots reached sufficient depth, water originated mainly from the deep soil water, especially in the dry season. The deeply rooted 20‐ and 40‐year‐old shrubs have the ability to exploit a deep and reliable water source. To achieve sustainability in these plantations, we recommend a reduction in the initial density of H. ammodendron in the desert‐oasis ecotone to decelerate the consumption of shallow soil water during plantation establishment.     

Transpiration and plant water relations of evergreen woody vegetation on a recently constructed artificial ecosystem under seasonally dry conditions in Western Australia

Understanding transpiration and plant physiological responses to environmental conditions is crucial for the design and management of vegetated engineered covers. Engineered covers rely on sustained transpiration to reduce the risk of deep drainage into potentially hazardous wastes, thereby minimizing contamination of water resources. This study quantified temporal trends of plant water potential (ψ_p), stomatal conductance (g_s), and transpiration in a 4‐year‐old evergreen woody vegetation growing on an artificial sandy substrate at a mine waste disposal facility. Transpiration averaged 0.7 mm day^?1 in winter, when rainfall was frequent, but declined to 0.2 mm day^?1 in the dry summer, when the plants were quite stressed. In winter, the mean ψ_p was ?0.6 MPa at predawn and ?1.5 MPa at midday, which were much higher than the corresponding summer values of ?2.0 MPa and ?4.8 MPa, respectively. The g_s was also higher in winter (72.1–95.0 mmol m^?2 s^?1) than in summer (<30 mmol m^?2 s^?1), and negatively correlated with ψ_p (p < 0.05, r² = 0.71–0.75), indicating strong stomatal control of transpiration in response to moisture stress. Total annual transpiration (147.2 mm) accounted for only 22% of the annual rainfall (673 mm), compared with 77% to 99% for woody vegetation in Western Australia. The low annual transpiration was attributed to the collective effects of a sparse and young vegetation, low moisture retention of the sandy substrate, and a superficial root system constrained by high subsoil pH. Amending the substrate with fine‐textured materials should improve water storage of the substrate and enhance canopy growth and deep rooting, while further reducing the risk of deep drainage during the early stages of vegetation establishment and in the long term. Overall, this study highlights the need to understand substrate properties, vegetation characteristics, and rainfall patterns when designing artificial ecosystems to achieve specific hydrological functions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seasonal variations in energy exchange and evapotranspiration of an oasis-desert ecotone in an arid region

Knowledge of exchanges of energy and water over terrestrial surfaces is the first step towards understand the ecohydrological mechanisms, particularly in water-limited ecosystems in dryland environments. However, patterns of energy exchange and evapotranspiration (ET) are not well understood in the oasis-desert ecotone, which plays an important role in protecting oases against the threat of desertification in arid regions of northwestern China. Here, the continuous measurements of surface energy fluxes were made using eddy covariance in conjunction with auxiliary measurements for 2 years (2014–2015) in an oasis-desert ecotone mainly covered by phreatophyte shrubs Haloxylon ammodendron, Nitraria tangutorum/sphaerocarpa, and Calligonum mongolicum in arid northwestern China. Based on the collated data for 2 years, statistical analysis on a 30-min time scale indicated that approximately 50% of daytime net radiation (R_n) in the ecotone was dissipated as H on average, and one-third of R_n was consumed by soil heat flux (G). Only 9% of R_n was consumed for latent heat flux (λE), which peaked in summer (21% in 2014 and 16% in 2015), corresponding to the highest rainfall season. Daily mean ET was approximately 1 mm days⁻¹ during the growing season of the shrub species. Accumulated annual ET was 195 and 181 mm in 2014 and 2015, respectively, exceeding the corresponding precipitation (P) by approximately 87 and 77 mm, indicating that groundwater may be another important source of water for ET in the ecotone aside from rainfall. Results within provide valuable insights into the mechanisms responsible for sustaining energy and water balance in the ecotone, a potentially groundwater-dependent ecosystem. These results also offer a foremost ecohydrological implication for water and land resources management and ecotone conservation, such as avoiding heavy groundwater pumping for extensive agricultural irrigation use to sustain groundwater availability for these shrub species in the ecotone.     

Transpiration of a Linze jujube orchard in an arid region of China

As an important source of income in the region's economy, the jujube plantations are very common in arid north‐western China, and their planted areas continue to expand. In the central Heihe River Basin of arid north‐western China, Linze jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Mill. var. inermis (Bunge) Rehd.) plantations cover more than 10,000 ha, too. Water use by this species is expected to change or modify catchment hydrological process. To our knowledge, there is no information on the transpiration and canopy conductance of the jujube plantations in arid north‐western China. Therefore, Transpiration and canopy conductance were monitored in a 14‐year‐old Linze jujube orchard. The experiment was carried out in the central Heihe River Basin, near Pingchuan Town (Linze County, Gansu Province, China) during growing season of 2006, from May to the first ten days of October. Eight trees were used to measure sap flow using the heat‐pulse‐velocity method. The orchard was irrigated adequately during the study. Transpiration was estimated from the sap flow measurements. During the experiment, the transpiration rate of the orchard ranged from 0·32 to 1·40 mm per day. Canopy conductance was obtained from estimated daily transpiration and climatic variables measured on a half‐hour basis, and canopy conductance for water vapour transfer was between 1·20 to 82·57 mm s^?1, with a mean of 11·86 ± 6·84 mm s^?1 during the observation period. Air temperature and vapour‐pressure deficit exhibited a linear relationship with sap flow velocity and the relationship between these factors and canopy conductance could be represented by an exponential decay function. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrological responses to defoliation and drought of an upland oak/pine forest

Hydrologic variability during 2005–2011 was observed and analyzed at an upland oak/pine forest in the New Jersey Pinelands. The forest experienced defoliation by Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) in 2007, drought conditions in 2006 and a more severe drought in 2010. By using sap flux and eddy covariance measurements, stream discharge data from USGS, soil water changes, precipitation (P) and precipitation throughfall, a local water balance was derived. Average annual canopy transpiration (E_C) during 2005–2011 was 201 mm a^?1 ± 47 mm a^?1. A defoliation event reduced E_C by 20% in 2007 compared with the 2005–2011 mean. During drought years in 2006 and 2010, stand transpiration was reduced by 8% in July 2006 and by 18% in 2010, respectively, compared with the overall July average. During July 2007, after the defoliation and subsequent reflushing of half of the leaves, E_C was reduced by 25%. This stand may experience higher sensitivity to drought when recovering from a defoliation event as evidenced by the higher reduction of E_C in 2010 (post‐defoliation) compared with 2006 (pre‐defoliation). Stream water discharge was normalized to the watershed area by dividing outflow with the watershed area. It showed the greatest correlation with transpiration for time lags of 24 days and 219 days, suggesting hydrological connectivity on the watershed scale; stream water discharge increases when transpiration decreases, coinciding with leaf‐on and leaf‐off conditions. Thus, any changes in transpiration or precipitation will also alter stream water discharge and therefore water availability. Under future climate change, frequency and intensity of precipitation and episodic defoliation events may alter local water balance components in this upland oak/pine forest. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using a transient infiltrometric technique for intensively sampling field‐saturated hydraulic conductivity of a clay soil in two runoff plots

The point measurement of soil properties allows to explain and simulate plot scale hydrological processes. An intensive sampling was carried out at the surface of an unsaturated clay soil to measure, on two adjacent plots of 4 × 11 m² and two different dates (May 2007 and February–March 2008), dry soil bulk density, ρ_b, and antecedent soil water content, θ_i, at 88 points. Field‐saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, K_fs, was also measured at 176 points by the transient Simplified Falling Head technique to determine the soil water permeability characteristics at the beginning of a possible rainfall event yielding measurable runoff. The ρ_b values did not differ significantly between the two dates, but wetter soil conditions (by 31%) and lower conductivities (1.95 times) were detected on the second date as compared with the first one. Significantly higher (by a factor of 1.8) K_fs values were obtained with the 0.30‐m‐diameter ring compared with the 0.15‐m‐diameter ring. A high K_fs (> 100 mm h^?1) was generally obtained for low θ_i values (< 0.3 m³m^?3), whereas a high θ_i yielded an increased percentage of low K_fs data (1–100 mm h^?1). The median of K_fs for each plot/sampling date combination was not lower than 600 mm h^?1, and rainfall intensities rarely exceeded 100 mm h^?1 at the site. The occurrence of runoff at the base of the plot needs a substantial reduction of the surface soil permeability characteristics during the event, probably promoted by a higher water content than the one of this investigation (saturation degree = 0.44–0.62) and some soil compaction due to rainfall impact. An intensive soil sampling reduces the risk of an erroneous interpretation of hydrological processes. In an unstable clay soil, changes in K_fs during the event seem to have a noticeable effect on runoff generation, and they should be considered for modeling hydrological processes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Canopy transpiration obtained from leaf transpiration,sap flow and FAO‐56 dual crop coefficient method

With a maize seed planting area of about 67 000 hm², Zhangye city supplies the seeds for more than 40% of the maize planting area in China. Irrigation water is often overused to ensure the quality of the maize seeds, leading to serious water shortage problems in recent years. An accurate and convenient estimate of canopy transpiration is of particular importance to ease the problem. In this paper, leaf transpiration and sap flow in a maize field were measured in 2012 using a portable photosynthesis system and a heat balance sap flow system. Based on a large amount of meteorological data and relevant maize plant‐growing parameters, canopy transpiration was up‐scaled from both leaf transpiration (T_l) and sap flow (T_f), and also calculated by the FAO‐56 dual crop coefficient method (T). Comparing these three types of transpiration, T_f was proved to be more reliable than T_l. Taking T_f as a benchmark, the basal crop coefficient (K_cb, the key parameter of FAO‐56 dual crop coefficient method) was further adjusted and verified for the maize plants in this region. In addition, the errors when using up‐scaling methods and FAO‐56 dual crop coefficient method are summarized. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Water flux measurement and prediction in young cashew trees using sap flow data

Measurements of sap flow, meteorological parameters, soil water content and tension were made for 4 months in a young cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) plantation during the 2002 rainy season in Ejura, Ghana. This experiment was part of a sustainable water management project in West Africa. The Granier system was used to measure half‐hourly whole‐tree sap flow. Weather variables were observed with an automatic weather station, whereas soil moisture and tension were measured with a Delta‐T profile probe and tensiometers respectively. Clearness index (CI), a measure of the sky condition, was significantly correlated with tree transpiration (r² = 0·73) and potential evaporation (r² = 0·86). Both diurnal and daily stomata conductance were poorly correlated with the climatic variables. Estimated daily canopy conductance g_c ranged from 4·0 to 21·2 mm s⁻¹, with a mean value of 8·0 ± 3·3 mm s⁻¹. Water flux variation was related to a range of environmental variables: soil water content, air temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity and vapour pressure deficit. Linear and non‐linear regression models, as well as a modified Priestley–Taylor formula, were fitted with transpiration, and the well‐correlated variables, using half‐hourly measurements. Measured and predicted transpiration using these regression models were in good agreement, with r² ranging from 0·71 to 0·84. The computed measure of accuracy δ indicated that a non‐linear model is better than its corresponding linear one. Furthermore, solar radiation, CI, clouds and rain were found to influence tree water flux. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evapotranspiration partitioning using a simple isotope‐based model in a semiarid marsh wetland in northeastern China

Partitioning evapotranspiration (ET) into evaporation (E) and transpiration (T) in wetlands is important for understanding the hydrological processes in wetlands and the contribution of wetland ET to local and regional water cycling and for designing effective wetland management strategies. Stable water isotopes are useful in the application of ET partitioning through the evaluation of the isotopic compositions of E (δ_E), T (δ_T), and ET (δ_ET) obtained from observation or modelling methods. However, this approach still suffers from potentially large uncertainties in terms of estimating the isotopic endmembers. In this study, we modified the traditional isotope‐based ET partitioning methods to include leaf‐level biological constraints to separately estimate the relative contributions of T from Scirpus triqueter and Phragmites australis and the relative contributions of E from the standing surface water in a semiarid marsh wetland in northeastern China. The results showed that although the δ_T values of S. triqueter and P. australis were rather similar, the mean δ_T values of the 2 species were different from the values of δ_E, making it possible to distinguish the relative contributions of E and T through the use of isotopes. The simulation of leaf water using a non‐steady‐state model indicated obvious deviations in leaf water enrichment (δ_Lb) from isotopic steady states for both species, especially during early mornings and evenings when relative humidity was highest. The isotopic mass balance showed that E accounted for approximately 60% of ET, and T from S. triqueter and P. australis each contributed approximately 20% to ET; this implied that the transpiration of one reed was equivalent to that of 5.25 individuals of S. triqueter. Using the estimated ratio of T to ET and the measured leaf transpiration, the total ET was estimated to be approximately 10 mm day^?1. Using the NSS‐Tr method, the estimated ET was higher than the water loss calculated from the water level gauge. This indicated that the river water and surrounding groundwater were the sources of the marsh wetland, with a supply rate of 8.3 mm day^?1.     

Evaluation of uncalibrated energy balance model (BAITSSS) for estimating evapotranspiration in a semiarid,advective climate

The backward‐averaged iterative two‐source surface temperature and energy balance solution (BAITSSS) model was developed to calculate evapotranspiration (ET) at point to regional scales. The BAITSSS model is driven by micrometeorological data and vegetation indices and simulates the water and energy balance of the soil and canopy sources separately, using the Jarvis model to calculate canopy resistance. The BAITSSS model has undergone limited testing in Idaho, United States. We conducted a blind test of the BAITSSS model without prior calibration for ET against weighing lysimeter measurements, net radiation, and surface temperature of drought‐tolerant corn (Zea mays L. cv. PIO 1151) in a semiarid, advective climate (Bushland, Texas, United States) in 2016. Later in the season (20 days), BAITSSS consistently overestimated ET by up to 3 mm d^?1. For the entire growing season (127 days), simulated versus measured ET resulted in a 7% error in cumulative ET, RMSE = 0.13 mm h^?1, and 1.70 mm d^?1; r² = 0.66 (daily) and r² = 0.84 (hourly); MAE = 0.08 mm h^?1 and 1.24 mm d^?1; and MBE = 0.02 mm h^?1 and 0.58 mm d^?1. The results were comparable with thermally driven instantaneous ET models that required some calibration. Next, the initial soil water boundary condition was reduced, and model revisions were made to resistance terms related to incomplete cover and assumption of canopy senescence. The revisions reduced discrepancies between measured and modelled ET resulting in <1% error in cumulative ET, RMSE = 0.1 mm h^?1, and 1.09 mm d^?1; r² = 0.86 (daily) and r² = 0.90 (hourly); MAE = 0.06 mm h^?1 and 0.79 mm d^?1; and MBE = 0.0 mm h^?1 and 0.17 mm d^?1 and generally mitigated the previous overestimation. The advancement in ET modelling with BAITSSS assists to minimize uncertainties in crop ET modelling in a time series.     

Energy flux partitioning and evapotranspiration in a sub‐alpine spruce forest ecosystem

In this study, we examined the year 2011 characteristics of energy flux partitioning and evapotranspiration of a sub‐alpine spruce forest underlain by permafrost on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QPT). Energy balance closure on a half‐hourly basis was H + λE = 0.81 × (R_n ? G ? S) + 3.48 (W m^?2) (r² = 0.83, n = 14938), where H, λE, R_n, G and S are the sensible heat, latent heat, net radiation, soil heat and air‐column heat storage fluxes, respectively. Maximum H was higher than maximum λE, and H dominated the energy budget at midday during the whole year, even in summer time. However, the rainfall events significantly affected energy flux partitioning and evapotranspiration. The mean value of evaporative fraction (Λ = λE/(λE + H)) during the growth period on zero precipitation days and non‐zero precipitation days was 0.40 and 0.61, respectively. The mean daily evapotranspiration of this sub‐alpine forest during summer time was 2.56 mm day^?1. The annual evapotranspiration and sublimation was 417 ± 8 mm year^?1, which was very similar to the annual precipitation of 428 mm. Sublimation accounted for 7.1% (30 ± 2 mm year^?1) of annual evapotranspiration and sublimation, indicating that the sublimation is not negligible in the annual water balance in sub‐alpine forests on the QPT. The low values of the Priestley–Taylor coefficient (α) and the very low value of the decoupling coefficient (Ω) during most of the growing season suggested low soil water content and conservative water loss in this sub‐alpine forest. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Developing an empirical model of canopy water flux describing the common response of transpiration to solar radiation and VPD across five contrasting woodlands and forests

A modified Jarvis–Stewart model of canopy transpiration (E_c) was tested over five ecosystems differing in climate, soil type and species composition. The aims of this study were to investigate the model's applicability over multiple ecosystems; to determine whether the number of model parameters could be reduced by assuming that site‐specific responses of E_c to solar radiation, vapour pressure deficit and soil moisture content vary little between sites; and to examine convergence of behaviour of canopy water‐use across multiple sites. This was accomplished by the following: (i) calibrating the model for each site to determine a set of site‐specific (SS) parameters, and (ii) calibrating the model for all sites simultaneously to determine a set of combined sites (CS) parameters. The performance of both models was compared with measured E_c data and a statistical benchmark using an artificial neural network (ANN). Both the CS and SS models performed well, explaining hourly and daily variation in E_c. The SS model produced slightly better model statistics [R² = 0.75–0.91; model efficiency (ME) = 0.53–0.81; root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.0015–0.0280 mm h^‐1] than the CS model (R² = 0.68–0.87; ME = 0.45–0.72; RMSE = 0.0023–0.0164 mm h^‐1). Both were highly comparable with the ANN (R² = 0.77–0.90; ME = 0.58–0.80; RMSE = 0.0007–0.0122 mm h^‐1). These results indicate that the response of canopy water‐use to abiotic drivers displayed significant convergence across sites, but the absolute magnitude of E_c was site specific. Period totals estimated with the modified Jarvis–Stewart model provided close approximations of observed totals, demonstrating the effectiveness of this model as a tool aiding water resource management. Analysis of the measured diel patterns of water use revealed significant nocturnal transpiration (9–18% of total water use by the canopy), but no Jarvis–Stewart formulations are able to capture this because of the dependence of water‐use on solar radiation, which is zero at night. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment of the impact of different vegetation patterns on soil erosion processes on semiarid loess slopes

Soil erosion hinders the recovery and development of ecosystems in semiarid regions. Rainstorms, coupled with the absence of vegetation and improper land management, are important causes of soil erosion in such areas. Greater effort should be made to quantify the initial erosion processes and try to find better solutions for soil and water conservation. In this research, 54 rainfall simulations were performed to assess the impacts of vegetation patterns on soil erosion in a semiarid area of the Loess Plateau, China. Three rainfall intensities (15 mm h^‐1, 30 mm h^‐1 and 60 mm h^‐1) and six vegetation patterns (arbors‐shrubs‐grass ‐A‐S‐G‐, arbors‐grass‐shrubs ‐A‐G‐S‐, shrubs‐arbors‐grass ‐S‐A‐G‐, shrubs‐grass‐arbors ‐S‐G‐A‐, grass‐shrubs‐arbors ‐G‐S‐A‐ and grass‐arbors‐shrubs ‐G‐A‐S‐) were examined at different slope positions (summits, backslopes and footslopes) in the plots (33.3%, 33.3%, 33.3%), respectively. Results showed that the response of soil erosion to rainfall intensity differed under different vegetation patterns. On average, increasing rainfall intensity by 2 to 4 times induced increases of 3.1 to 12.5 times in total runoff and 6.9 to 46.4 times in total sediment yield, respectively. Moreover, if total biomass was held constant across the slope, the patterns of A‐G‐S and A‐S‐G (planting arbor at the summit position) had the highest runoff (18.34 L m^‐2 h^‐1) and soil losses (197.98 g m^‐2 h^‐1), while S‐A‐G had the lowest runoff (5.51 L m^‐2 h^‐1) and soil loss (21.77 g m^‐2 h^‐1). As indicated by redundancy analysis (RDA) and Pearson correlation results, a greater volume of vegetation located on the back‐ and footslopes acted as effective buffers to prevent runoff generation and sediment yield. Our findings indicated that adjusting vegetation position along slopes can be a crucial tool to control water erosion and benefit ecosystem restoration on the Loess Plateau and other similar regions of the world. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A portable rainfall simulator for field assessment of splash and slopewash in remote locations

This paper describes the design, operation and performance of a field‐portable ‘drip‐type’ simulator and erosion measurement system. The system was constructed specifically for soil erosion research in the humid tropics and has been used extensively in Malaysian Borneo. The simulator is capable of producing replicable storms of up to 200 mm h^?1 intensity and 20–30 minutes duration with a drop‐size distribution close to that of natural storms of such intensity (D₅₀ of simulated rainfall is 4·15 mm at 200 mm h^?1 and 3·65 mm at 160 mm h^?1, D⁵⁰ measured during natural rainfall = 3·25 mm). The simulator is portable and simply constructed and operates without a motor or electronics, thus making it particularly useful in remote, mountainous areas. The erosion measurement system allows assessment of: (1) rainsplash detachment and net downslope transport from the erosion plot; (2) slopewash (erosion transported by overland flow); and (3) infiltration capacity and overland flow. The performance of the simulator–erosion system compared with previous systems is assessed with reference to experiments carried out in primary and regenerating tropical rainforest at Danum Valley (Malaysian Borneo). The system was found to compare favourably with previous field simulators, producing a total storm kinetic energy of 727 J m^?2 (over a 20‐minute storm event) and a kinetic energy rate of 0·61 J m^?2 s^?1, approximately half that experienced on the ground during a natural rainfall event of similar intensity, despite the shorter distance to the ground. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Inhibition Concentration of Phenolic Substances under Different Cultivation Conditions. Part I: Phenol Oxidation by Mixed Microbial Population in a Model System

The effects of oxygen supply rate and the presence or absence of nutrients on the kinetics of phenol degradation and oxygen consumption by a mixed microbial population were tested in a model system. The values for the maximum specific rate of phenol degradation (q_Smax), the saturation constant (K_S), and the inhibition concentration (S_CR) were determined for unlimited growth (K_La = 340 h^?1, growth medium) with 1.7 mmol g^?1 h^?1, 65 mg L^?1, and 190 mg L^?1. Under limitation conditions, alterations occur depending on the type of limitation. Nutrient limitations lead to values of 0.8 mmol g^?1 h^?1, 45 mg L^?1, and 160 mg L^?1, and oxygen limitations lead to 1.2 mmol g^?1 h^?1. 30 mg L^?1, and 120 mg L^?1, respectively. The results suggest that with excess oxygen, the rate of phenol degradation was higher and the inhibition effect of phenol was suppressed to some extent. Under the same high oxygen supply rate, the presence of nutrients in the model water significantly supported the phenol degradation rate.     

Energy budget above a temperate mixed forest in northeastern China

Components of the energy budget were measured continuously above a 300‐year‐old temperate mixed forest at the Changbaishan site, northeastern China, from 1 January to 31 December 2003, as a part of the ChinaFlux programme. The albedo values above the canopy were lower than most temperate forests, and the values for snow‐covered canopy were over 50% higher than for the snow‐free canopy. In winter, net radiation R_n was generally less than 5% of the summer value due to high albedo and low incoming solar radiation. The annual mean latent heat LE was 37·5 W m^?2, accounting for 52% of R_n. The maximum daily evaporation was about 4·6 mm day^?1 in summer. Over the year, the accumulated precipitation was 578 mm; this compares with 493 mm of evapotranspiration, which shows that more than 85% of water was returned to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration. The LE was strongly affected by the transpiration activity and increased quickly as the broadleaved trees began to foliate. The sensible heat H dropped at that time, although R_n increased. Consequently, the seasonal variation in the Bowen ratio β was clearly U‐shaped, and the minimum value (0·1) occurred on a sunny day just after rain, when most of the available energy was used for evapotranspiration. Negative β values occurred occasionally in the non‐growing season as a result of intensive radiative cooling and the presence of water on the surface. The β was very high (up to 13·0) in snow‐covered winter, when evapotranspiration was small due to low surface temperature and available soil water. Vegetation phenology and soil moisture were the key variables controlling the available energy partitioning between H and LE. Energy budget closure averaged better than 86% on a half‐hourly basis, with slightly greater closure on a daily basis. The degree of closure showed a dependence on friction velocity u*. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of bedrock permeability on subsurface stormflow and the water balance of a trenched hillslope at the Panola Mountain Research Watershed,Georgia, USA

The effect of bedrock permeability on subsurface stormflow initiation and the hillslope water balance is poorly understood. Previous hillslope hydrological studies at the Panola Mountain Research Watershed (PMRW), Georgia, USA, have assumed that the bedrock underlying the trenched hillslope is effectively impermeable. This paper presents a series of sprinkling experiments where we test the bedrock impermeability hypothesis at the PMRW. Specifically, we quantify the bedrock permeability effects on hillslope subsurface stormflow generation and the hillslope water balance at the PMRW. Five sprinkling experiments were performed by applying 882–1676 mm of rainfall over a ～5·5 m × 12 m area on the lower hillslope during ～8 days. In addition to water input and output captured at the trench, we measured transpiration in 14 trees on the slope to close the water balance. Of the 193 mm day^?1 applied during the later part of the sprinkling experiments when soil moisture changes were small, <14 mm day^?1 was collected at the trench and <4 mm day^?1 was transpired by the trees, with residual bedrock leakage of >175 mm day^?1 (91%). Bedrock moisture was measured at three locations downslope of the water collection system in the trench. Bedrock moisture responded quickly to precipitation in early spring. Peak tracer breakthrough in response to natural precipitation in the bedrock downslope from the trench was delayed only 2 days relative to peak tracer arrival in subsurface stormflow at the trench. Leakage to bedrock influences subsurface stormflow at the storm time‐scale and also the water balance of the hillslope. This has important implications for the age and geochemistry of the water and thus how one models this hillslope and watershed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil degradation in central Spain due to sheet water erosion by low‐intensity rainfall events

Runoff and sediment lost due to water erosion were recorded for 36 (1 m²) plots with varying types of vegetative cover located on sloping gypsiferous fields in the South of Madrid. 75% of the events had maximum 30‐minute intensity (I₃₀) less than 10 mm h^?1 in the period studied (1994–2005). As for the vegetative cover, maximum correlation between runoff and soil loss was found in the least protected plots (0–40% cover) during the most intense rainfall events; however, a significant positive correlation was also observed in plots with greater coverage (40–60%). If coverage exceeded 60%, rainfall erosivity declined. The average amount of sediment produced in high‐intensity events was significantly greater (approximately 7 g m^?2 per I₃₀ event >10 mm h^?1) than that produced in the rest of the moderate‐intensity events (approximately 3 g m^?2 per I₃₀ event <10 mm h^?1), but due to the high rate of occurrence of the latter throughout the year sediment loss during the period studied totaled 128 g m^?2. By comparison, only 40 g m^?2 was produced by the I₃₀ events greater than 10 mm h^?1. Even though the amount of soil lost is relatively insignificant from a quantitative standpoint, the organic matter content lost in the sediment (six times more than in the soil) is a permanent loss that threatens the development of the surface of the soil in this area when the vegetative cover is less than 40%. The soil here experiences a chronic loss of 0·02 mm annually as a consequence of frequent, moderate events, in addition to any loss produced by extraordinary events, which, though less frequent, are much more erosive. If moderate events are ignored, an important part of soil loss will be lost in the long run. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The relationship between sap flow of intercropped young poplar trees (Populus×euramericana cv. N3016) and environmental factors in a semiarid region of northeastern China

Estimating transpiration of the trees in agroforestry system is important in water management of the site. Sap flow of intercropped fast‐growing young poplar trees and microclimate factors in semiarid northeastern China was measured in two growing seasons (2008 and 2009). Sapwood growth and water storage of wood and leaf increment during the growing season were involved in the calculation of sap flow. The results showed that diurnal variation of sap flow followed to that of short wave solar radiation. Sap flows both in 10 min mean and daily gross values mainly depended on solar radiation and vapor pressure deficit, and the relations well fit hyperbolic function. The regression coefficients of monthly window data indicated that the seasonal variation of sap flow capacities decreased gradually from June to September. Moderate soil water stress of upper soil layer (0–50 cm) did not constrain the sap flow because the trees could use the water at deeper soil layer. The daily sap flow per tree ranged 0.8 to 18.1 and 3.7 to 23.8 kg d^?1 tree^?1, with averages of 8.7 and 14.3 kg d^?1 tree^?1 in 2008 and 2009 respectively. An empirical model was established to estimate the sap flow of the poplar trees by solar radiation, vapor pressure deficit, leaf area index and Julian days. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seasonal variation in the energy and water exchanges above and below a larch forest in eastern Siberia

The water and energy exchanges in forests form one of the most important hydro‐meteorological systems. There have been far fewer investigations of the water and heat exchange in high latitude forests than of those in warm, humid regions. There have been few observations of this system in Siberia for an entire growing season, including the snowmelt and leaf‐fall seasons. In this study, the characteristics of the energy and water budgets in an eastern Siberian larch forest were investigated from the snowmelt season to the leaf‐fall season. The latent heat flux was strongly affected by the transpiration activity of the larch trees and increased quickly as the larch stand began to foliate. The sensible heat dropped at that time, although the net all‐wave radiation increased. Consequently, the seasonal variation in the Bowen ratio was clearly ‘U’‐shaped, and the minimum value (1·0) occurred in June and July. The Bowen ratio was very high (10–25) in early spring, just before leaf opening. The canopy resistance for a big leaf model far exceeded the aerodynamic resistance and fluctuated over a much wider range. The canopy resistance was strongly restricted by the saturation deficit, and its minimum value was 100 s m^?1 (10 mm s^?1 in conductance). This minimum canopy resistance is higher than values obtained for forests in warm, humid regions, but is similar to those measured in other boreal conifer forests. It has been suggested that the senescence of leaves also affects the canopy resistance, which was higher in the leaf‐fall season than in the foliated season. The mean evapotranspiration rate from 21 April 1998 to 7 September 1998 was 1·16 mm day^?1, and the maximum rate, 2·9 mm day^?1, occurred at the beginning of July. For the growing season from 1 June to 31 August, this rate was 1·5 mm day^?1. The total evapotranspiration from the forest (151 mm) exceeded the amount of precipitation (106 mm) and was equal to 73% of the total water input (211 mm), including the snow water equivalent. The understory evapotranspiration reached 35% of the total evapotranspiration, and the interception evaporation was 15% of the gross precipitation. The understory evapotranspiration was high and the interception evaporation was low because the canopy was sparse and the leaf area index was low. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.